Scientists train drones to search for lost hikers

ZURICH, Switzerland, Feb. 10 (UPI) — Every year in Switzerland, emergency centers respond to more than 1,000 calls concerning injured and lost hikers. In larger countries, where more people venture into larger swaths of wilderness, the problem is even greater.That’s why robotics engineers and computer scientists in Switzerland are teaching drones to recognize and navigate forest trails. Drones are inexpensive and can more quickly cover ground, maximizing the efficiency of search and rescue missions. The quicker a lost or injured hiker is found, the sooner medical assistance can be delivered. But drones aren’t yet adept and navigating through a dense array of obstacles. To teach drones how to fly through a forest, scientists at the Dalle Molle Institute for Artificial Intelligence and the University of Zurich have developed new nagivation…